TEMECULA: Parking concerns spark trolley consideration

On any given day, Old Town Temecula draws crowds of youthful revelers, antique enthusiasts, window shoppers and sidewalk strollers.

The crowds not only bring in highly valued sales tax, they also bring in cars.

Old Town Front Street is perpetually packed with vehicles. Yet there is no requirement that commercial buildings in Old Town provide parking, meaning regular and handicapped spaces are in short supply.

Temecula offers free parking in a city garage at the Civic Center, and officials are considering running a trolley to shuttle the public to the main drag in Old Town.

âOn Saturday mornings (when the Farmers Market is held) I think weâve just about maxed out on the traffic and the parking,â said Councilman Ron Roberts, who serves on the Old Town Local Review Board, which in the coming weeks will begin researching a trolley program.

âIf we can work it out to get a street legal trolley car â" they have private ones that are out there that look pretty cushy â" we can utilize our parking facilities here at City Hall.â

Apart from street parking, Old Town is home to several quirky lots.

One, at Starbucks, leaves drivers in the dust. Half of that lot is a traditional station with marked spots, but the other half is dirt. Moving around can be confusing as drivers, in the absence of marked spots, leave their vehicles wherever they find room. That site, Community Development Director Patrick Richardson said, will one day be developed into an office and commercial building.

Some lots are for customers only, such as the one at Rosaâs Cantina. Itâs manned by a security guard on weekends. Others charge for parking, like a lot at the Chaparral building across from The Swing Inn.

A shuttle, officials said, would help drivers avoid the traffic of Old Town while promoting business. That position also is supported by Old Town merchants, who are now involved in the trolley discussion.

City Manager Aaron Adams said this week that the Old Town Temecula Association has expressed interest in partnering with the city on a trolley. The group, Adams said, has looked at electric vehicles to keep gas costs at a minimum, as well as a plan to establish several stops along Old Town Front Street to shuttle people to and from the cityâs garage.

In the coming weeks, Councilman Jeff Comerchero said, officials will release their first report on such a program. It will outline cost estimates to begin service and an estimated annual budget, he said.

Although the trolley would be for everyoneâs use, officials want to make sure those with disabilities have access.

âI have a handicapped sticker now and I use it,â Roberts said. âA lot of times you canât walk three or four blocks.â

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